paolosmythe

For wouldbe immigrants and new arrivals alike..... here is something i have learnt....

We arrived a few months ago and i am still without work and thus income. It was therefore a bit dissappointing when i cracked a tooth, lost a filling and had to visit a local dentist.

For once, the pain didn't incur in the chair (the dentitst it has to be said was excellent and provided the best service i had ever received!!! seriously!) but occurred afterwards.

I was aware that despite the 'free' healthcare in canada, i had to cover 100% of the $283 filling i had just received.

"Oh well", i thought, "you knew it wasn't gonna be cheap"; and not being able to afford steaks for a few weeks would probably be good for my new canadian tooth....

however, the mailman arrived with a nice surprise the following day.... a 'medical services plan invoice'. eh!!?

it seems that medical provisions aren't free afterall! that medical care we were told we had to apply for on permanently arriving, by necessity of law, would not only cost us $48 just to apply for, but would also cost $51 per month!

Is someone having a laugh?

I thought the medical provision in Canada was like that of the UK no? and yet whilst i am jobless and my missus is paying tax on income, we are being invoiced for services we haven't used, whilst i pay full whack for that service i have had to use.

Shurely shome mishtake!!?

iaink

No mistake, and not a secret either. In BC there is a monthly top up, in Ontario there is an annual income tax supplement that amounts to a similar thing.


Of course, if you had to foot the whole insurance bill yourself you could easily multiply it by 10...

Deva

Yes, your understanding of the word free.

Why does it matter if the funding is via a small monthly charge + taxes compared to all taxes in the UK?

Lord Vader

It varies between provinces.

Souvy

No mistake. I'm not aware of any NHS-style dentistry in North America.

As for the medical services thing, it's nothing more than a tax. You were paying it in the UK: just in a different way. It's the same as sales tax. You pay VAT in the UK without even noticing it. Here, it comes separately.

JonboyE

You can apply for premium assistance once you have lived here for 12 months, but for the first year you have t suck it up.

Alan2005

Canada is only socialist in it's bureaucracy. If you are poor here you live a pretty shitty life compared to the life you would have in a western european country.

Make sure you have some kind of medical cover for prescriptions - you have to pay for those yourself otherwise.

RN1

Many permanent jobs will have some kind of supplementary health benefits. For example, I pay 20% of prescription/dental, get free optician services, ambulance transport & private/semi-private rooms for my family & I plus sone other supplementary stuff I can't remember off hand. For this I pay a small monthly premium, work picks up the rest. In Alberta they stopped the monthly top up fee. it's not perfect but it's better than having to pay the full whack.

I was surprised that kids/pensioners are not better covered though I must admit. Still, I wouldn't go home even so!

danfolkestone

It's pretty hard to find in England as well these days!

ExKiwilass

Nope, not socialist. Always makes me when the Americans talk about Canada's 'socialized healthcare'. Or the Canadians, for that matter. HA! I say. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Try going to a country with real socialized medicine then we'll talk.

Anyway. Yeah, disappointing isn't it? However all the provinces do it differently, just something to bear in mind.

G77

I recently had two prescriptions, I was appalled at the cost of them - $1.50 each..... (I get prescription coverage via work)

ray1968

in ontario there is a health premium...below a certain income you pay 0 I think, top premium is $600

if you are on low income you can apply for trillium prescription plan that covers prescriptions with a $2 charge per

as for seniors they pay $200 per year and then a small dispensing fee for prescriptions rather then the full cost


I think also welfare recipients get dental covered

...so there is some safety net ...dunno how it compares with others

Bottom line is you are better off in most cases here then in the States esp if your income is low ..despite what that BIMBO Palin would sa

gingnut

Most Canadians are shocked when told that canada ranks a lousy 30th place in world healthcare systems. The next question they ask is where does America rank, #37 if you care. However almost all agree that the ability too see and chew food with your own teeth are important to overall wellness. We Canadians spend so much time looking south there is a serious risk our heads my go up our butts, but I think most provinces will cover that.

Oink

Her Indoor's gets 10 or 12 massages covered a year on her plan, unfortunately my deluxe ones, aren't.

ExKiwilass

word.